a day with the cancer fighters

I was privileged to facilitate a vision-mission workshop for the Philippine Society of Medical Oncologists, PSMO, last Saturday. This society of Filipino doctors is called upon to battle against the scourge called "cancer".

I felt joy when they re-worded their vision and included a component on the integration of a multi-disciplinary approach for the optimal care of the Filipino cancer-patient.

You see, statistically, cancer is projected to become the number one killer of Filipinos by 2013-2015. To me, that means something must be twitched on how we currently and collectively handle cancer. It will be higher than heart issues and infectious disease by then. The usual explanation for the rise is our lifestyle, our environment and genetics.

Our current poster boys are the dearly departed Rudy Fernandez and Francis Magalona. At the end of the day, I have to utter a prayer for there's so much to be done.

PSMO, as an organization, has to evolved just like any organization. I firmly believe they can because they want to. But this will mean being open and being a student again. I hope and pray they see the beauty of a science called management. I hope, some of them gets an MBA = )

Personally, cancer is really wielding its head in the Philippines.

The worst part of it, cancer grows in small amounts in all our bodies. Yes, we, yes you and me, all have cancer cells presently lurking in our bodies. The reason why we do not have cancer, as currently defined, is that the number of cancer cells are efficiently handled by our immune system. But once our immune system breaks, then, our life will suddenly have a different and heightened awareness of something bigger, eternal. God. Some cancers can not be detected by current instrumentation until it is too late for cure. Only care.

My Lord and my God, please heal the hearts of our oncologists. May they not be jaded by death. May death be human still and not a statistic, a number. May they not forget to see the human face of Filipino cancer-patients, their families and their part and role in it. Remind and reassure them that they are brilliant minds and that they are steadfast people. Don't let them give up and become nurses in foreign lands. Please Lord, open their hearts, their minds and stir them, or stir only one, to act and to lead in solving this situation in ways that's totally unimaginable that the world can only attribute it to You.

Lord, I have heard of your wonders and of your miracles. I have experience them in the past. My prayer is that You renew it again today. Tonight. Right at this very moment. Lord, you know my pain. You know me. You know us. You are God yesterday. You are God today. You are God tomorrow. And I invoke the name you gave me, God is his answer. Please answer my prayer.

You are God Almighty, my Healer. Our Healer.